The young prince Alberic, only and much-neglected heir to his grandfather, the duke of Luna, becomes obsessed with the legend of his medieval ancestor, also called Alberic, and his relationship with the Snake Lady, a fairy trapped in snake form for 23 h a day unless redeemed by true love. Might the immortal fairy still be around? Meanwhile his grandfather's ministers plot and scheme for the day when the younger Alberic shall inherit the duchy.

I rather liked this story, which held some suspense - the ending did surprise me, though it's not particularly a twist - and is told with gentle irony and humour.

The protagonist's name - it may be no accident that it means "Elf-King" - inevitably reminded me of Dunsany's The King of Elfland's Daughter, whose protagonist goes by the variant Alveric. I could believe Dunsany was inspired to use the name by this; there's some kinship in spirit between the tales, although here the supernatural seems to share our familiar world rather than invade from Beyond the Fields We Know.